Podcasts about Niwano Peace Prize

To Dance with Dakinis is a study of the universal law of cause and effect, how events in our life, our deeds, thoughts, and reactions impel the process of rebirth. The story begins in 12th century Tibet, with a woman's search for the Goddess and the deeper truths of life. You meet ordinary people dealing with human suffering and you visit magical lakes and mountains. You also meet the great Mother, and through her dakinis, adepts, gurus, and loving souls who guide us life after life, without revealing their spiritual stature. Then we meet the great Guru Rinpoche, known to Tibetans as Padmasambhava. We will learn more of the spiritual history of Tibet and India and the deep interconnection of these two great civilizations. The story unravels the threads that link together three lives. Through a crisis that Padma, our main character encounters, she is led to a Master who helps awaken memories of her previous life in medieval France and an earlier life in China, during which events were set in motion that led to the crisis she now faced. This book recounts deeply touching tales of her experiences and learnings amidst the cultural settings of the times she lived in. In the process of her journey, great teachings are conveyed, teachings that we can apply to our lives today. Call it Life's sense of humor or divine justice, that the person you resented the very sight of, becomes a dear relative in the next; an illiterate low-caste woman in one life is reborn as a queen; the unfulfilled love of one life comes to ultimate fruition in another one; and so much more. It may suddenly strike you that all our feelings of resentment, anger or pride are ultimately futile—and what a liberating realization that is! Life doesn't forget anything – neither your good deeds and vows, nor your wrong deeds or thoughts that you tried to hide from all. Dena Merriam began working in the inter-faith movement in the late 1990s when she served as Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held at the United Nation in New York in the year 2000. She subsequently convened a meeting of women religious and spiritual leaders at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and from that gathering founded the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) in 2002, an organization chaired by a multi-faith group of women spiritual leaders. In 2008, Ms. Merriam was one of the founding members of the Contemplative Alliance, which later became a program of GPIW. The purpose of the Alliance is to bring together meditation teachers and practitioners in a collective effort to uplift and transform society, while caring for and honoring our Mother Earth. For over 40 years, Dena Merriam has been a student of Paramahansa Yogananda and a practitioner of Kriya Yoga meditation. She is also a long-time student of the great texts of the Vedic tradition. Ms. Merriam received her master's degree from Columbia University and has served on numerous boards. She is currently the Chair of the International Advisory Council of the Auroville Foundation in India. In 2014 she received the Niwano Peace Prize for her interfaith peace efforts and holds an Honorary Doctorate in Peace Studies from Mahachulalongkornvajravidyadara University (MCU) in Thailand. She is the author of My Journey Through Time, The Untold Story of Sita, When the Bright Moon Rises, Rukmini and the Turning of Time and To Dance with Dakinis. Find out more at: https://www.denamerriam.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To Dance with Dakinis is a study of the universal law of cause and effect, how events in our life, our deeds, thoughts, and reactions impel the process of rebirth. The story begins in 12th century Tibet, with a woman's search for the Goddess and the deeper truths of life. You meet ordinary people dealing with human suffering and you visit magical lakes and mountains. You also meet the great Mother, and through her dakinis, adepts, gurus, and loving souls who guide us life after life, without revealing their spiritual stature. Then we meet the great Guru Rinpoche, known to Tibetans as Padmasambhava. We will learn more of the spiritual history of Tibet and India and the deep interconnection of these two great civilizations. The story unravels the threads that link together three lives. Through a crisis that Padma, our main character encounters, she is led to a Master who helps awaken memories of her previous life in medieval France and an earlier life in China, during which events were set in motion that led to the crisis she now faced. This book recounts deeply touching tales of her experiences and learnings amidst the cultural settings of the times she lived in. In the process of her journey, great teachings are conveyed, teachings that we can apply to our lives today. Call it Life's sense of humor or divine justice, that the person you resented the very sight of, becomes a dear relative in the next; an illiterate low-caste woman in one life is reborn as a queen; the unfulfilled love of one life comes to ultimate fruition in another one; and so much more. It may suddenly strike you that all our feelings of resentment, anger or pride are ultimately futile—and what a liberating realization that is! Life doesn't forget anything – neither your good deeds and vows, nor your wrong deeds or thoughts that you tried to hide from all. Dena Merriam began working in the inter-faith movement in the late 1990s when she served as Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held at the United Nation in New York in the year 2000. She subsequently convened a meeting of women religious and spiritual leaders at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and from that gathering founded the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) in 2002, an organization chaired by a multi-faith group of women spiritual leaders. In 2008, Ms. Merriam was one of the founding members of the Contemplative Alliance, which later became a program of GPIW. The purpose of the Alliance is to bring together meditation teachers and practitioners in a collective effort to uplift and transform society, while caring for and honoring our Mother Earth. For over 40 years, Dena Merriam has been a student of Paramahansa Yogananda and a practitioner of Kriya Yoga meditation. She is also a long-time student of the great texts of the Vedic tradition. Ms. Merriam received her master's degree from Columbia University and has served on numerous boards. She is currently the Chair of the International Advisory Council of the Auroville Foundation in India. In 2014 she received the Niwano Peace Prize for her interfaith peace efforts and holds an Honorary Doctorate in Peace Studies from Mahachulalongkornvajravidyadara University (MCU) in Thailand. She is the author of My Journey Through Time, The Untold Story of Sita, When the Bright Moon Rises, Rukmini and the Turning of Time and To Dance with Dakinis. Find out more at: https://www.denamerriam.com/

To Dance with Dakinis is a study of the universal law of cause and effect, how events in our life, our deeds, thoughts, and reactions impel the process of rebirth. The story begins in 12th century Tibet, with a woman's search for the Goddess and the deeper truths of life. You meet ordinary people dealing with human suffering and you visit magical lakes and mountains. You also meet the great Mother, and through her dakinis, adepts, gurus, and loving souls who guide us life after life, without revealing their spiritual stature. Then we meet the great Guru Rinpoche, known to Tibetans as Padmasambhava. We will learn more of the spiritual history of Tibet and India and the deep interconnection of these two great civilizations. The story unravels the threads that link together three lives. Through a crisis that Padma, our main character encounters, she is led to a Master who helps awaken memories of her previous life in medieval France and an earlier life in China, during which events were set in motion that led to the crisis she now faced. This book recounts deeply touching tales of her experiences and learnings amidst the cultural settings of the times she lived in. In the process of her journey, great teachings are conveyed, teachings that we can apply to our lives today. Call it Life's sense of humor or divine justice, that the person you resented the very sight of, becomes a dear relative in the next; an illiterate low-caste woman in one life is reborn as a queen; the unfulfilled love of one life comes to ultimate fruition in another one; and so much more. It may suddenly strike you that all our feelings of resentment, anger or pride are ultimately futile—and what a liberating realization that is! Life doesn't forget anything – neither your good deeds and vows, nor your wrong deeds or thoughts that you tried to hide from all. Dena Merriam began working in the inter-faith movement in the late 1990s when she served as Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held at the United Nation in New York in the year 2000. She subsequently convened a meeting of women religious and spiritual leaders at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and from that gathering founded the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) in 2002, an organization chaired by a multi-faith group of women spiritual leaders. In 2008, Ms. Merriam was one of the founding members of the Contemplative Alliance, which later became a program of GPIW. The purpose of the Alliance is to bring together meditation teachers and practitioners in a collective effort to uplift and transform society, while caring for and honoring our Mother Earth. For over 40 years, Dena Merriam has been a student of Paramahansa Yogananda and a practitioner of Kriya Yoga meditation. She is also a long-time student of the great texts of the Vedic tradition. Ms. Merriam received her master's degree from Columbia University and has served on numerous boards. She is currently the Chair of the International Advisory Council of the Auroville Foundation in India. In 2014 she received the Niwano Peace Prize for her interfaith peace efforts and holds an Honorary Doctorate in Peace Studies from Mahachulalongkornvajravidyadara University (MCU) in Thailand. She is the author of My Journey Through Time, The Untold Story of Sita, When the Bright Moon Rises, Rukmini and the Turning of Time and To Dance with Dakinis. Find out more at: https://www.denamerriam.com/

We all know that we need to reconnect to our HeartMinds and to bring our Heart Intelligence up to meet the explosion of left brain intelligence - we just don't know how to do it. This week's guest is one of my living heroes - who does have clear, grounded ideas of how to do this. Dr Scilla Elworthy was thirteen years old when she saw the Soviet Invasion of Hungary on the television and understood the horror of what was happening. Her mother found her packing a case to go to Budapest to help and managed to persuade her to stay home by promising she'd help to train her to be what the world needed. When she was sixteen, she worked in a holiday camp for Auschwitz survivors, and sat peeling potatoes and listening to them talk of their suffering. Since then, she has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with Oxford Research Group to develop effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers worldwide and their critics. In 2003 Scilla founded Peace Direct, to work closely with locally-led peace building initiatives throughout the world, bringing us daily experience in how to help prevent violent conflict and build sustainable peace throughout the world.She has written numerous books, given numerous TED and TEDx talks and now leads The Business Plan for Peace to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of transforming destructive conflict. She was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2003 and the Luxembourg Peace Prize in 2020. She is one of the clearest, most grounded thinkers I have ever met and she's working tirelessly to create the future we'd be proud to leave behind. I was more than a little star-struck, but this was a genuinely heart-felt conversation and I hope listening to it leaves you feeling as heart-connected as it did me. The Mighty Heart https://mightyheart.co.uk/TED Talk: Fighting with Non Violence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk3K_Vrve-ETEDx Talk: Dare to Question: Why are we so afraid of getting older https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6zenOjPC1ATEDx Talk: How do I deal with a bully without becoming a thug? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgWyolwBGgETEDx Talk: The Future Belongs to those who can see it  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWDl1PqGjqYTEDx Talk: Do something - OK, but how? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYlhHkLgBWATEDx Talk: The Business Plan for Peace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH1WgurH5FAConversations in Compassion w Dr Scilla Elworthy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C5BMRDYzc8Book: Pioneering the Possible https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/pioneering-the-possible-awakened-leadership-for-a-world-that-works-scilla-elworthy/3218709?ean=9781583948620Books: The Mighty Heart in Action and The Business Plan for Peace https://mightyheart.co.uk/media/

This book is told through the voice of a dancer in ancient Dwarka, a city on the western coast of India. It was on a pilgrimage to Dwarka a few years ago that Dena experienced her life. But even though this book recounts events in her life and follows her through three incarnations, this story is not truly about her but about Rukmini, the one who was working behind the scenes, as Rukmini and Shri Krishna set the framework for the era that was beginning to unfold. This narrative shows how Rukmini Mata enabled those around her to fulfil samskaras from past births―the karma one has accrued in the cycle of life, death, and rebirth―bringing closure to unfinished relationships and desires. Dena include many stories told by women to other women, recounted by those living in Dwarka in close association with Rukmini, in the hope of showing how an incarnation of the Universal Mother comes to guide an evolving humanity. Dena Merriam began work in the inter-faith movement in 1990s as Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious Leaders held at the UN in 2000. She is the founder of the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW). For over 40 years, she has been a student of Paramahansa Yogananda and a meditation practitioner. She received her MA from Columbia Univ. In 2014 she received the Niwano Peace Prize for her interfaith peace efforts. She is the author of the book My Journey Through Time - A Spiritual Memoir of Life, Death and Rebirth, The Untold Story of Sita, & When the Bright Moon Rises. https://amzn.to/3X1gMQG

This book is told through the voice of a dancer in ancient Dwarka, a city on the western coast of India. It was on a pilgrimage to Dwarka a few years ago that Dena experienced her life. But even though this book recounts events in her life and follows her through three incarnations, this story is not truly about her but about Rukmini, the one who was working behind the scenes, as Rukmini and Shri Krishna set the framework for the era that was beginning to unfold. This narrative shows how Rukmini Mata enabled those around her to fulfil samskaras from past births―the karma one has accrued in the cycle of life, death, and rebirth―bringing closure to unfinished relationships and desires. Dena include many stories told by women to other women, recounted by those living in Dwarka in close association with Rukmini, in the hope of showing how an incarnation of the Universal Mother comes to guide an evolving humanity. Dena Merriam began work in the inter-faith movement in 1990s as Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious Leaders held at the UN in 2000. She is the founder of the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW). For over 40 years, she has been a student of Paramahansa Yogananda and a meditation practitioner. She received her MA from Columbia Univ. In 2014 she received the Niwano Peace Prize for her interfaith peace efforts. She is the author of the book My Journey Through Time - A Spiritual Memoir of Life, Death and Rebirth, The Untold Story of Sita, & When the Bright Moon Rises. https://amzn.to/3ZuSNLw Sponsored 

This book is told through the voice of a dancer in ancient Dwarka, a city on the western coast of India. It was on a pilgrimage to Dwarka a few years ago that Dena experienced her life. But even though this book recounts events in her life and follows her through three incarnations, this story is not truly about her but about Rukmini, the one who was working behind the scenes, as Rukmini and Shri Krishna set the framework for the era that was beginning to unfold. This narrative shows how Rukmini Mata enabled those around her to fulfil samskaras from past births―the karma one has accrued in the cycle of life, death, and rebirth―bringing closure to unfinished relationships and desires. Dena include many stories told by women to other women, recounted by those living in Dwarka in close association with Rukmini, in the hope of showing how an incarnation of the Universal Mother comes to guide an evolving humanity.Dena Merriam began work in the inter-faith movement in 1990s as Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious Leaders held at the UN in 2000. She is the founder of the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW). For over 40 years, she has been a student of Paramahansa Yogananda and a meditation practitioner. She received her MA from Columbia Univ. In 2014 she received the Niwano Peace Prize for her interfaith peace efforts. She is the author of the book My Journey Through Time - A Spiritual Memoir of Life, Death and Rebirth, The Untold Story of Sita, & When the Bright Moon Rises.https://amzn.to/3X1gMQG

Dena is a long-time meditation practitioner in the lineage of Kriya Yoga. She came in contact with her guru Paramhansa Yogananda at the age of 20, long after he had left his physical form, and devoted many years to practicing his teachings and studying the texts of the ancient Vedic tradition. During her years of meditation, many vivid memories of past births began to emerge, revealing an intricate and subtle patten of cause and effect, the law of karmic unfolding. These memories became the subject of her books. The purpose of sharing these intimate stories was to help people see the long arch of their life, whether they retain memories or not, to help overcome fear and anxiety about death, to understand more fully the workings of cause and effect and to know that each one of us, moment to moment, is creating the blueprint for our future. Her first book My Journey through Time: A Spiritual Memoir of Life, Death and Rebirth takes Dena on a journey back through seven consecutive lives, revealing the intricate patterns that emerge as one life leads into another, picking up and furthering themes initiated at an earlier time. Her second book The Untold Story of Sita: An Empowering Tale for our Time takes the reader back to a much earlier age, several thousand years b.c.e. to a pre-patriarchal era when humanity had not fully separated itself from the natural world. There are many messages from that time that are particularly relevant today. A third book called When the Bright Moon Rises: Awakening Ancient Memories will be released in the fall of 2020. A fourth book is also in the works: The Seeds of Satya Yuga recounts memories of a life in a far higher age and how events in that life effected subsequent births, carving a path for the soul's awakening. Dena's story is the story of each one of us, of course with much variation. The history of each one of us is filled with patterns and interweavings, that unfolding of so many events, the birth and fulfillment of desires and aspirations, loss and gain, all of which have made us who we are today. While on her own spiritual journey of awakening, Dena has been active in the public sphere. Having founded the non-profit organization The Global Peace Initiative of Women in 2002, she has worked to bring spiritual voices to address global challenges. She has spoken in many forums on the need for a shift in consciousness if we are to address successfully ecological decline, economic and gender imbalance, climate instability, violence and other critical issues. Before writing about her own spiritual experiences, Dena wrote about art and spirituality, publishing a number of books on contemporary artists and for some years editing the magazine Sculpture Review. She received her Master's Degree from Columbia University, has served on numerous boards and in 2014 received the Niwano Peace Prize for her international work.

Three times Nobel Peace Prize nominee for her work with Oxford Research Group to develop effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers worldwide and their critics. She now leads The Business Plan for Peace to help prevent violent conflict and build sustainable peace throughout the world, because it is possible, see three minute video ; this work is based on her latest books The Business Plan for Peace: Building a World Without War (2017) and The Mighty Heart: How to Transform Conflict (2020), which is now an on-line course. Scilla founded Peace Direct in 2002 to fund, promote and learn from local peace-builders in conflict areas: Peace Direct was voted ‘Best New Charity' in 2005. She was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2003, the Luxembourg Peace Prize in 2020, and was adviser to Peter Gabriel, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Sir Richard Branson in setting up ‘The Elders'. Scilla co-founded Rising Women Rising World in 2013, and FemmeQ in 2016 to establish the qualities of feminine intelligence for women and men as essential to use in building a safer world. Her TED Talk on nonviolence has been viewed by over 1,500,000 people. Scilla is an Ambassador for Peace Direct and patron of Oxford Research Group; adviser to the Syria Campaign and the Institute for Economics and Peace. She also advises the leadership of selected international corporations as well as students and young social entrepreneurs.

When the Bright Moon Rises: The Awakening of Ancient Memories is Dena Merriam's rich and extensive story of her past lives. This, her third book is a love story between the sages and the cosmic forces known as the deities, love of the sages and of the people, and love between individuals seeking to express this universal force of love that exists within us all. It is a study of karma, the cosmic law of cause and effect. Dena's weaves her story through her life that begins in Vedic India around the 9th century BCE when two people meet and the seeding of a love that cannot be fulfilled then but comes to fruition nearly 10,000 years later during the Tang Empire in china when they are reborn as the poet Li Bai and his poet wife. The awakening of her previous births initiates an inner struggle that is only resolved under the guidance of her Daoist Master. This is the story of love and compassion, trust, truth, living with grace and inner peace. This is her story. Dena is an author, storyteller and the Founder and Convener of the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW), which seeks to bring spiritual resources to address critical global challenges, such as conflict, social justice, and ecological scarring of the earth. Over the years she has worked to bring greater gender balance and between the Abrahamic and Dharma-based religious traditions for a more inclusive interfaith movement. Merriam served as Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and convened a meeting of women religious and spiritual leaders at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, and from that gathering founded the Global Peace Initiative of women in 2002. Among GPIW's many programs is the organization of a session on the inner dimensions of climate change as the annual UN Climate Summits. In 2008, Merriam was one of the founding members of the Contemplative Alliance, which later became a program of GPIW and which explores hoe meditation and contemplative practices are reshaping the spiritual landscape our societies. For over 40 years, Dena has been a devotee of Paramahansa Yogananda, a practitioner of Kriya Yoga meditation, and a student of the great texts of the Vedic tradition. Merriam received her MA from Columbia University in Sacred Literature. She has served on the boards of the Harvard Center of Study of World Religions, he Interfaith Center of New York, The International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, Manitou Foundation, All India Movement for Seva (AIM for Seva), the Gross National Happiness Center in Bhutan and as an advisor to the board of Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association. In 2014 she received the Niwano Peace Prize for her interfaith peace efforts. She is the author of My Journey through Time: A Spiritual Memoir of Life, Death and Rebirth and The Untold Story of Sita: An Empowering Tale for our Time. She is currently working on a book entitled Rukmini & the Turning of Time: The Birth of an Era expected release in 2021. Find out more about Dena Merriam at http://www.gpiw.org/

When the Bright Moon Rises: The Awakening of Ancient Memories is Dena Merriam’s rich and extensive story of her past lives. This, her third book is a love story between the sages and the cosmic forces known as the deities, love of the sages and of the people, and love between individuals seeking to express this universal force of love that exists within us all. It is a study of karma, the cosmic law of cause and effect. Dena’s weaves her story through her life that begins in Vedic India around the 9th century BCE when two people meet and the seeding of a love that cannot be fulfilled then but comes to fruition nearly 10,000 years later during the Tang Empire in china when they are reborn as the poet Li Bai and his poet wife. The awakening of her previous births initiates an inner struggle that is only resolved under the guidance of her Daoist Master. This is the story of love and compassion, trust, truth, living with grace and inner peace. This is her story. Dena is an author, storyteller and the Founder and Convener of the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW), which seeks to bring spiritual resources to address critical global challenges, such as conflict, social justice, and ecological scarring of the earth. Over the years she has worked to bring greater gender balance and between the Abrahamic and Dharma-based religious traditions for a more inclusive interfaith movement. Merriam served as Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and convened a meeting of women religious and spiritual leaders at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, and from that gathering founded the Global Peace Initiative of women in 2002. Among GPIW’s many programs is the organization of a session on the inner dimensions of climate change as the annual UN Climate Summits. In 2008, Merriam was one of the founding members of the Contemplative Alliance, which later became a program of GPIW and which explores hoe meditation and contemplative practices are reshaping the spiritual landscape our societies. For over 40 years, Dena has been a devotee of Paramahansa Yogananda, a practitioner of Kriya Yoga meditation, and a student of the great texts of the Vedic tradition. Merriam received her MA from Columbia University in Sacred Literature. She has served on the boards of the Harvard Center of Study of World Religions, he Interfaith Center of New York, The International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, Manitou Foundation, All India Movement for Seva (AIM for Seva), the Gross National Happiness Center in Bhutan and as an advisor to the board of Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association. In 2014 she received the Niwano Peace Prize for her interfaith peace efforts. She is the author of My Journey through Time: A Spiritual Memoir of Life, Death and Rebirth and The Untold Story of Sita: An Empowering Tale for our Time. She is currently working on a book entitled Rukmini & the Turning of Time: The Birth of an Era expected release in 2021. Find out more about Dena Merriam at http://www.gpiw.org/

Korea24 – 2020.10.28. (Wednesday) - News Briefing: President Moon Jae-in delivered a budget speech at the National Assembly, urging bipartisan support on various issues from reviving the South Korea economy, to the formation of the new Corruption Investigation Office. (Sam Len) - In-Depth News Analysis: With the US Presidential Election less than a week away, Dr. Go Myoung-hyun of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies and Professor Brian Myers of Dongseo University discuss President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden's policies and stances on the Korean peninsula. - Korea Trending with Alex Sigrist: The Seoul High Court finds former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui guilty of bribery(김학의 법정구속), LA Dodger's Justin Turner is pulled from the World Series after testing positive for COVID-19(저스틴 터너 코로나19 확진), and the new k-pop group ENHYPEN sets to make their debut next month (엔하이픈 데뷔일 확정). - Korea Book Club: Anton Hur shares "Pandemic: 6 Worlds(팬데믹: 여섯 개의 세계)" an anthology by 6 different authors. Anton talks about how this piece treads the fine line between science-fiction and fact as the modern world deals with an actual pandemic. - Morning Edition Preview: Mark shares a piece from the 70th-anniversary edition of the Korea Times that covers the winner of the 37th Niwano Peace Prize. He also shares a piece by the Korea Herald that also features awards recognizing cultural figures, groups, and content that raise awareness on gender equality in South Korea.

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a Nation. Now, at the time of recording and publishing this episode we are still in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some lockdowns are easing, some are being extended - but wherever you’re at in your lockdown, we are all at a point where it’s something we’ve been dealing with for months - rather than for days or weeks. For many, or for most in fact, the stress and the strains of those months are very real and there’s a high chance that conflict is a lot more familiar part of your life than it was pre-pandemic. That conflict might be light – children arguing over toys or homework – more intense – as many of us deal with financial and family crisis points – or critical – if – as is the case for far too many - your home isn’t a safe place – and the main emotional and physical dangers lie more within your four walls than outside.For some people, dealing with – and trying to resolve – conflict - is their life’s work. And it’s one of those people who is my guest for this episode. Dr Scilla Elworthy was put on her ‘path’ at the young age of 13 - having watched a life altering news broadcast in 1956 which literally jolted her into action. That small moment changed her life, which in turn, helped change the lives of countless others. Dr Elworthy is best known for founding the Oxford Research Group; an organisation set up in 1982 to develop communication between nuclear weapons policy-makers and their critics - for which she was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2003 she left her role there as executive director and set up Peace Direct; a charity which supports peace-makers and peace builders in areas of conflict. She is also a member of the World Future Council, has advised Desmond TuTu and Sir Richard Branson in setting up ‘The Elders’, and was Awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2003. Today her full attention is on developing Business Plan for Peace - resulting in her 2017 book The Business Plan for Peace: Building a World Without War . Her latest booklet - which has literally just been released – is called: ‘The Mighty Heart: How to transform conflict’. It takes the experience of people who have been preventing and resolving conflict for decades; some on the front-line, others within families or schools. And distils their experiences into practical, non-technical advice on how build your own mighty heart. So what’s a mighty heart? Put simply, it’s having the courage to meet conflict with compassion, curiosity – and unshakeable presence.How do we do that? Keep listening. In this conversation we dive into: · How to deal with a bully without becoming a thug yourself, and how to overcome violence in all its forms without resorting to force. · Why it’s important to realise that whilst it’s okay to be angry at ‘the thing’, it’s not okay to be angry at the person who holds the opposing view on that ‘thing’; get mad at ‘the thing’ together and resolve it. · Self intervention - how to take a step back when we feel too close to the trigger point - very important this one, and very relevant for these times. · How to take a stand clearly and calmly – and with full gravity - so you are not dismissed. Quick Tip - it’s important to literally take a ‘stand’. · And how we build certainty through self enquiry. Especially in those 3am moments. One of my favourite moments in this conversation is listening to how Scilla – literally – deals with her dragons when they arrive at 3am. For me – speaking to Scilla was both a deep honour and reminder that the most powerful forms of influence are not force, aggression or interruption. Which I know sometimes is a hard truth to hold onto.In the long run of history – or any relationship - the only lasting genuine peace always comes from a willingness to firstly show up – for ourselves before anyone else. Then to get curious about both sides of the story – even when that feels impossible. And finally, in the decision to fiercely and compassionately hold our ground – even (and especially) in the moments when our knees shake and our voices break. Writing this introduction actually sent me off in search of a poem I hadn’t read in years, it’s by Rumi and it’s the closest (and shortest) summation of the beginnings of peace that I have ever found: “Out beyond the ideas of right and wrong there is a field – I will meet you there’.So, find whatever resembles a peaceful place for you right now - and enjoy my conversation with the truly indescribable, Dr Scilla Elworthy... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Many people feel powerless in the face of what they see on TV or read in the news – a world in crisis, with wars and violence taking place across the globe. Do you want to step out of the helplessness and apply your personal skills to do something meaningful about the challenges now facing us? Humanity now has the experience, knowledge and tools to prevent and resolve conflict. Scilla Elworthy offers the Business Plan for Peace, an ambitious, long-term solution that challenge the status quo.

The Untold Story of Sita: An Empowering Tale for our Time, by Dena Merriam, takes a new look at the classic Ramayana by tearing away the patriarchal lens through which the story is traditionally viewed. In the traditional account, Sita is a secondary figure, and her true nature is hard to access. In this story, told by the people of Sita’s household, the role of the sacred feminine is predominant. Sita is a beloved figure throughout Southeast Asia. Her life and message extends beyond and particularly relevant for the modern age when a new understanding of feminine wisdom and leadership is needed, and when we are facing an unprecedented ecological crisis. Mata Sita and Sri Ram were instrumental in setting the foundation for a new civilization during a time of transition from one era, or yuga, to another. We stand at a similar time in history, where we are experiencing the passing of one era and intuitively feel the birthing of another, as yet unknown. One thing seems inevitable, however, that the new society we are striving for must be ecologically-based. There is an excellent value in looking to lessons of the past to move forward. Dena Merriam is the Founder and Convener of the Global Peace Initiative of Women, bringing spiritual resources to address critical global challenges, such as conflict, social justice, and ecological scarring of the earth. She received her Master’s Degree from Columbia University in sacred literature. Dena has served on the boards of the Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions. In 2014 she received the Niwano Peace Prize for her interfaith peace efforts. Join Dena Merriam and me on Tuesday, July 16, 10-11 A.M. CT US. We will be having a conversation about her remarkable spiritual journey, and her latest book, The Untold Story of Sita.

SO I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE CONVERSATION **THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THE OTHER NIGHT** AND THE DINNER **THAT BILLY DID NOT COOK THE OTHER NIGHT-** WHAT WE DID THO - WAS GO OUT TO ONE OF THE LOCAL CHAIN RESTAURANTS, ALBEIT ONE OF THE BETTER ONES TO HAVE A HAMBURGER. IT WAS KINDA NICE TO HAVE THAT BREAK FROM ALL THAT GOURMET COOKING - ADMIRING BILLS TECHNIQUE IN CREATING OUTSTANDING MEALS, SOME OF WHICH ARE ORIGINAL, SOME OF WHICH ARE JUST BETTER VERSIONS OF THE ONES WE HAVE IN RESTAURANTS. BUT I DIGRESS. IT WAS WHILE EATING THE HAMBURGER THAT I WAS EAVESDROPPING AMONG THE GUESTS SITTING AROUND US WHEN I OVERHEARD AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION ONE MORE SENIOR WOMAN COMPLAINED THAT SHE HADN’T DONE HER MAKEUP, AND THE GENTLEMEN SITTING ACROSS FROM HER ( I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT WAS HER HUSBAND SAID “SARAH, WHAT DO YOU NEED MAKEUP FOR - WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO ATTRACT AT YOUR AGE. AT WHICH TIME THE OTHER WOMAN AT THE TABLE SAID. WELL HONEY YOU ARE LUCKY - AT YOUR AGE YOU ARE FREE NOW, YOU DON’T NEED MAKEUP ANYMORE. AT WHICH TIME SARAH SAID - ITS NOT THE MAKEUP, BUT THE FACT THAT I FORGOT TO PUT IT ON. THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS TO UNPACK IN THAT CONVERSATION - VANITY, AGING, BRAIN FUNCTION - SO I THOUGHT I’D SEARCH OUT SOME TRULY REMARKABLE PEOPLE TO ADDRESS MANY OF THOSE ISSUES. SO THAT’S WHAT WE’LL YAK ABOUT TODAY.---   Let’s face it people in western society are vain. Looking good is almost mandatory. You walk down the street in the big cities and they are teaming with fit, well clothed people with skin that is silky smooth. But often you see some men and woman, looking a bit disheveled, glasses held up by the tip of the nose. no makeup (not homeless) I just assume that they are intellectuals, professors, scientists etc. WHO DON’T FALL INTO SOCIETIES EXPECTATIONS ON BEAUTY I’ve always wondered what do those people think about Vanity. So I went and searched out someone who could give us a point of view of what the cost of vanity is. # Scilla ELWORTHSCILLA ELWORTHY [Dare to Question Why We Are So Afraid of Getting Older: Scilla Elworthy at TEDxMarrakesh 2012 - YouTube](https://youtu.be/J6zenOjPC1A)https://youtu.be/J6zenOjPC1A is the founder of the Oxford Research Group, a non-governmental Organisation she set up in 1982 to develop effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers worldwide and their critics. She served as its executive director from 1982 until 2003, when she left that role in order to set up Peace Direct, a charity THA SUPPORTS local peace builders in conflict areas. From 2005 she was adviser to Peter Gabriel, Desmond Tutu and Richard Branson in setting up The Elders. She is a member of the World Future Council and the International Task Force on Preventive Diplomacy. She has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Price and in 2003 she was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize for her work with the Oxford Research Group. ------# DR. THAD POLK DR. DAVID POLK - AGING IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK[Aging: It’s Not What You Think | Thad Polk | TEDxUofM - YouTube](https://youtu.be/wrTIS0uKg6o)https://youtu.be/wrTIS0uKg6o   e often talk about memory loss as we age. We’ve learned the tricks to help us out. Just ask Brad Zupp, our memory athlete. As a result, common wisdom says that age isn’t too kind to our minds abilities. But can iT brain actually be improving as we age. So why not look for someone who can explain it. Our brains are powerful pieces of machinery that give us the capacity to do amazing things. Unfortunately, common wisdom says that age isn’t too kind to our minds’ abilities. Neuroscientist Thad Polk walks through the actual effects of aging on the human brain and shows that our assumptions might not be so accurate.Dr. Thad Polk has been a member of the University of Michigan psychology faculty since 1996. he was named an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in recognition of outstanding contributions to undergraduate education, and in 2012 Princeton Review included him on its list of the Best 300 Professors in the US. ------ # David Andrew Sinclair DAVID SINCLAIR - SLOWING DOWN AGING [David Sinclair Slowing down Aging - YouTube](https://youtu.be/9bhDgBhRgtk) https://youtu.be/9bhDgBhRgtkDR. DAVID POLK - AGING IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK[Aging: It’s Not What You Think | Thad Polk | TEDxUofM - YouTube](https://youtu.be/wrTIS0uKg6o)https://youtu.be/wrTIS0uKg6o hile we are speaking of aging. You constantly here that there is research being done that will slow down the aging process or halt it altogether - God forbid you have to live with that difficult family member forever. I tried to find someone who can explain in simple terms - what research is being done to slow down the aging process. HIS NAME IS DAVID SINCLAIR AND HE is an Australian biologist and Professor of Genetics best known for his research on the biology of lifespan extension and driving research towards treating diseases of aging. Sinclair is Co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging at Harvard Medical School. Sinclair obtained a Bachelors of Science (Honours Class I) at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, and received the Australian Commonwealth Prize. In 1995, he received a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Leonard Guarente.Since 1999 he has been a tenured professor in the Genetics Department of Harvard Medical School. Sinclair has received over 25 awards including The Australian Commonwealth Prize, A Helen Hay Whitney Fellowship, the Nathan Shock Award, a Leukemia and Lymphoma Fellow, a MERIT Awards from the National Institutes of Health, the Merck Prize, the Arminese Fellowship, the Genzyme Outstanding Achievement in Biomedical Science Award, an Ellison Medical Senior Fellow, the Bio-Innovator award, the Bright Sparks Award for Top Scientists under 40, The Denham Harman Award in Biogerontology, a medal from the Australian Society for Medical Research, and a TIME 100 honoree, TIME magazine’s list of the 100 “most influential people in the world” (2014).———— ------# Jane Caro JANE CARO[Growing old: The unbearable lightness of ageing | Jane Caro | TEDxSouthBank - YouTube](https://youtu.be/ULqf3OyemZY)https://youtu.be/ULqf3OyemZY Jane Caro has a low boredom threshold and so wears many hats; including author, novelist, lecturer, mentor, social commentator, columnist, workshop facilitator, speaker, broadcaster and award winning advertising writer. The common thread running through her career is a delight in words and a talent for using them to connect with other people. @JaneCaro@TEDxSouthBank This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at [http://ted.com/tedx](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&v=ULqf3OyemZY&q=http%3A%2F%2Fted.com%2Ftedx&redir_token=Tr5pUh70swXaZsz0iwgFjacJeTR8MTU2Mjg1NjU2MUAxNTYyNzcwMTYx) My tits don’t hurt: Ever ---- I want to thank our sponsor for making Yak About Today possible AND THE NUMBER ONE TALK RADIO STATION IN OUR MARKET. We couldn’t do half of what we do without them. But that wouldn’t mean much if we didn’t believe in them. To my mind and many others they are simply the best practice to go to for both prevention as well as more serious eye conditions. So like i always say - go see Drs. Minotti Rhinehour, tate and o’brien because i wouldn’t trust my eyes to anyone else --- DAVID SINCLAIR - SLOWING DOWN AGING [David Sinclair Slowing down Aging - YouTube](https://youtu.be/9bhDgBhRgtk) https://youtu.be/9bhDgBhRgtkDR. DAVID POLK - AGING IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK[Aging: It’s Not What You Think | Thad Polk | TEDxUofM - YouTube](https://youtu.be/wrTIS0uKg6o)https://youtu.be/wrTIS0uKg6o SCILLA ELWORTHY[Dare to Question Why We Are So Afraid of Getting Older: Scilla Elworthy at TEDxMarrakesh 2012 - YouTube](https://youtu.be/J6zenOjPC1A)https://youtu.be/J6zenOjPC1A JANE CARO[Growing old: The unbearable lightness of ageing | Jane Caro | TEDxSouthBank - YouTube](https://youtu.be/ULqf3OyemZY)https://youtu.be/ULqf3OyemZY   ----------------------------------------------------------------- # SOCIAL MEDIA STUFF#yakabouttoday/SOCIAL Social Media Attachment for all publications “YOU CANT GO BACK AND CHANGE THE BEGINNING BUT YOU CAN START WHERE YOU ARE AND CHANGE THE ENDING. The Yak About Today broadcasts deliver on air and online conversations, interviews and stories engaging the Baby Boomer Generation and beyond with discussions, tips and information. YOU CAN FIND US ON THE STATIONS WAXE 107.9, WZTA 1370 AM AND REAL RADIO 101.7 IN FLORIDA AND OF COURSE ON ALL MAJOR PODCASTING SYSTEMS.YOU CAN ALSO GET US AT YAKABOUTTODAY.COM AND FACEBOOK AND TWITTER AND ALL SOCIAL PLATFORMS, JUST LOOK FOR YAK ABOUT TODAY. OR WRITE ME AT YAKABOUTTODAY@GMAIL.COM Hosted by an authentic conversationalist, intuitive listener and a boomer himself, David Yakir brings a genuine, down to earth and disarming personality that talks with his audience and his guests with out talking at them. David shares Engagement, Education, Enjoyment & Empowerment on air and online for the BabyBoomer Generation delivered with humor, wit and thought. Yak About Today is your GPS guide for technology, fitness, , finance entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship & all things that mean anything to you. For more information, visit: [http://yakirgroup.com/](http://yakirgroup.com/) [http://facebook.com/yakabouttoday/](http://facebook.com/yakabouttoday/) [http://twitter.com/yakabouttoday/](http://twitter.com/yakabouttoday/) [http://spanishriverconcerts.com](http://spanishriverconcerts.com)  

Have you ever wondered what fear, nuclear war, Richard branson and iced cream have in common? Today our very special guest, a three-time nobel peace prize nominee provides the prescription for a bully-free school yard by employing an unlikely and successful strategy used during global peace negotiations. She shares her business plan for peace and provides inspiring examples of unifying kindness grassroots movements across the globe. Dr. Elworthy will have you laughing, crying, and feeling more inspired about your role in the world. About SCILLA ELWORTHY PhD: Three times Nobel Peace Prize nominee for her work with Oxford Research Group to develop effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers worldwide and their critics, work which included a series of meetings between Chinese, Russian and western nuclear scientists and military. She founded Peace Direct in 2002 to fund, promote and learn from local peace-builders in conflict areas: Peace Direct was voted ‘Best New Charity’ in 2005. Scilla was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2003 and was adviser to Peter Gabriel, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Sir Richard Branson in setting up ‘The Elders’. Scilla co-founded Rising Women Rising World in 2013, and FemmeQ in 2016 to establish the qualities of feminine intelligence for women and men as essential to use in building a safer world. Her TED talk on nonviolence has been viewed by over 1,130,000 people. Her latest book The Business Plan for Peace: Building a World Without War (2017) and her book Pioneering the Possible: awakened leadership for a world that works (North Atlantic Books, 2014) received critical acclaim from experts in the field. Scilla is an Ambassador for Peace Direct, a Councillor of the World Future Council and patron of Oxford Research Group; adviser to the Syria Campaign and the Institute for Economics and Peace. She advises the leadership of selected international corporations as well as students and young social entrepreneurs. Scilla is a mother, stepmother, and grandmother and loves messing about in her garden near Oxford in the UK. Dr Scilla Elworthy www.scillaelworthy.com Core Team | FemmeQ www.femmeq.org Author |The Business Plan for Peace www.scillaelworthy.com/the-business-plan-for-peace Founder | Oxford Research Group www.oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk Founder |Peace Direct www.peacedirect.org Watch a TED Talk: www.ted.com/talks/scilla_elworthy_fighting_with_non_violence For more information visit my website smallactbigimpact.com and search for episode # 2.

Aired Wednesday, 11 July 2018, 8:00 PM ETDena Merriam – My Journey Through TimeAstrophysicist, author and host of Cosmos, and skeptic Carl Sagan once asked the Dali Lama what he would do if reincarnation was disproved by science. The Dali Lama, with his great wisdom and equally great sense of humor responded, “If science can disprove reincarnation, Tibetan Buddhism would abandon reincarnation… but it’s going to be mighty hard to disprove reincarnation.” What if we do come back, lifetime after lifetime? Would we learn from each existence and bring that wisdom back with us? Would it make us more loving, compassionate and better stewards of this world that we have been entrusted with?My guest this week on Destination Unlimited, Dena Merriam, experienced events in her life that awakened memories of previous lifetimes. Dena Merriam is a managing partner and vice-chairman at Finn Partners. Her areas of responsibility include Finn’s work in cultural marketing, creative services, corporate responsibility and in work for religious and non-profit organizations. In the area of creative services, she oversees the publishing, editorial, design, visual technology and new media divisions of Finn. She also manages their Arts and Communications Counselors Division, which develops cultural programs for corporations and governments and provides strategic counsel to museums, foundations and other cultural institutions. In support of the objectives and goals of the United Nations, Dena serves with the Interfaith Center of New York City in the creation of the Millennium Peace Summit for Religious and Spiritual Leaders. Their objective is to engage religious leaders from around the world to work as a resource to the UN in its efforts to resolve conflict throughout the world. She also provides counsel to the State of the World Forum in its attempt to gather world thought leaders to address international problems.Dena began working in the interfaith movement in the late 1990s, when she served as vice-chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders, held at the United Nations in New York. She subsequently convened a meeting of women religious and spiritual leaders at the in Geneva, and from that gathering founded the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW: www.www.gpiw.org) in 2002, an organization chaired by a multi-faith group of women spiritual leaders. The mission of this organization is to enable women to facilitate healing and reconciliation in areas of conflict and post-conflict, and to bring spiritual resources to help address critical global problems. In 2014 she received the Niwano Peace Prize for her interfaith peace efforts.She joins me this week to discuss her book, My Journey Through Time – A Spiritual Memoir of Life, Death and Rebirth.

My Journey Through Time - Life, Death, and Rebirth, is the story of how the events and people Dena Merriam has encountered in life served to awaken memories of past births, memories that help her to understand her current life and provide spiritual direction and guidance. As she remembered past teachers and loved ones, she realized that the most important message is the continuation of these relationships through time...through death and rebirth. The body may perish, but love continues, only to be reawakened at another point in time. We meet old friends again and again in different forms and situations to continue what was left unsaid and undone. Dena Merriam is a partner and vice-chairman of Ruder Finn company, and the founder of the Global Peace Initiative of Women. For over 35 years, she has been a student of Paramahansa Yogananda and a practitioner of Kriya Yoga meditation. Dena is also a long time student of the great texts of the Vedic tradition. In 2014, She was honored as a recipient of the Niwano Peace Prize by the Niwano Peace Foundation in Japan for her years of commitment to interfaith dialogue. Dena received her MA from Columbia University and has served on the boards of Harvard University Center for the Study of World Religions, the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy, the Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association, and the Manitou Foundation. Join Dena Merriam and me on Tuesday, June 12, 10-11 A.M. CT US. We will be having a conversation about her life’s journey, as well as, the key message from her story which is, how the past has created the present, so the present is shaping the future, and we can become more conscious participants in this process.

Is peace really possible? Is there a business plan for peace? How can we all help reduce conflict in our workplace, community, home and even inside ourselves? What is the role of our ego in conflict-situations and arguments? How can I find my true path in life and reconnect with my own inner guidance system? These are some of the questions we will answer in Episode 5 with three-times Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Dr. Scilla Elworthy. Scilla has spent her entire life building peace and working with leaders in high-pressure conflict zones all around the world. In this Episode, she shares her wisdom from a lifetime of preventing war and violence and offers fascinating stories from the frontlines that we can all learn from. Scilla offers concrete tools to help us all identify who we really are, become better leaders, connect with our own inner wisdom and combat the desire for revenge we may all have experienced.    This episode will bring you hope, concrete tools, inspiration and… goosebumps.    WHAT WE WILL COVER: What you can do to build peace and reduce conflict everywhere Tools for communicating with people whom you violently disagree with – a conflict resolution tool successfully taught to CEOs as well as children How to nourish empathy and enable understanding between people to dissolve conflict Why the root cause of all violence and conflict is humiliation and how to better acknowledge your own role in conflicts How to turn a tense meeting or negotiation around and create a more constructive and pleasant atmosphere If we succeed in building peace, what’s in it for the companies who are currently benefitting massively from war? How to become aware of your own ego, when it’s in charge in an unhealthy way and its role in all conflicts How to find your life path and connect with your inner guidance system Creating efficient and pleasant meetings and negotiations through meeting human to human – not ego to ego How can we tell the difference between the voice of intuition and the ego’s desire? How to inspire leaders to live a life with purpose and compassion    SELECTED QUOTES   “One of the root causes of war and conflict is humiliation. Respect is the fastest antidote to humiliation. To show someone a gesture of respect, immediately diffuses a war between you.” “You’re clearly a gifted leader but what is it really you want to accomplish in the world? What is it that really makes you feel when you’re older you have given a great gift to your country, your community – what would you be really proud of? What’s the closest thing to your heart’s fulfillment that you can imagine you could do? It’s these questions that most leaders don’t have time or the inclination to ask themselves.”   RESOURCES: Scilla Elworthy homepage The Business Plan for Peace The Peace Talks Webinars open for all Scillas TEDx talk on nonviolence   ABOUT SCILLA ELWORTHY Three times Nobel Peace Prize nominee for her work with Oxford Research Group to develop effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers worldwide and their critics. She founded Peace Direct (2002) to fund, promote and learn from local peace- builders in conflict areas and co-founded Rising Women Rising World (2013), and FemmeQ (2016). Scilla was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2003 and was adviser to Peter Gabriel, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Sir Richard Branson in setting up ‘The Elders’. Her latest book The Business Plan for Peace: Building a World Without War (2017) and her book Pioneering the Possible: awakened leadership for a world that works (North Atlantic Books, 2014) received critical acclaim from experts in the field. Her TED talk on nonviolence has been viewed by over 1,130,000 people.       

Elias Chacour and Graham Hill discuss “Blood Brothers: Blessed are the Palestinian, Israeli, and Other Peacemakers.” The GlobalChurch Project, podcast episode #63.“Elias Chacour is a three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee. He recently retired after serving since 2006 as the Archbishop of the Melkite Catholic Church for Akko, Haifa, Nazareth, and all Galilee. He was born to a Palestinian Christian family in the village of Biram in Upper Galilee in 1939. Along with his whole village he experienced the tragedy of eviction by the Israeli authorities in 1948 and became a refugee in his own land. He and all his family members became citizens of Israel when the state was created.In 1965, Father Chacour was ordained and appointed as priest of St. George Melkite Catholic Church in Ibillin. He remained there until 2006 when he was elevated to become Archbishop and moved to Haifa. Ibillin is a small Arab village in the Galilee region, near Nazareth, where Christians and Muslims have lived together peacefully for hundreds of years.Father Chacour realized early on that his work in Ibillin would require more than routine priestly duties. His vision was, and is, that through education, children, youth, and young adults of different faith traditions will learn to live and work together in peace. That vision is a reality in the schools of the Mar Elias Educational Institutions (MEEI). As Father Chacour’s dreams became reality, schools were established in Ibillin over 30 years. The cluster of schools now serve 2,750 students from preschool through high school.Many international groups and educational institutions have honored Archbishop Chacour for his work on behalf of peace. In addition to his nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize (1986, 1989, 1994), he received the World Methodist Peace Prize in 1994, and in May 2001 he was awarded the prestigious Niwano Peace Prize by a Buddhist group in Japan. Also in 2001, Emory University and The University of Indianapolis recognized the work of Father Chacour with honorary doctorates.Archbishop Chacour is the author of Blood Brothers (1984, updated in 2002 and again in 2013) and We Belong to the Land (1990). Blood Brothers has been translated into more than twenty different languages.”From http://www.pilgrimsofibillin.org/about-us/abuna-elias-chacour/Elias and Graham discuss Elias’s book “Blood Brothers”, and his current work to bring peace between Palestinians and Israelis.From Elias Chacour’s book: “As a child, Elias Chacour lived in a small Palestinian village in Galilee. The townspeople were proud of their ancient Christian heritage and lived at peace with their Jewish neighbors. But early in 1947, their idyllic lifestyle was swept away as tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed and nearly one million forced into refugee camps. An exile in his native land, Elias began a years-long struggle with his love for the Jewish people and the world’s misunderstanding of his own people, the Palestinians. How was he to respond? He found his answer in the simple, haunting words of the Man of Galilee: “Blessed are the peacemakers.” In Blood Brothers, Chacour blends his riveting life story with historical research to reveal a little-known side of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the birth of modern Israel. He touches on controversial questions such as “What behind-the-scenes politics touched off the turmoil in the Middle East? “, “What does Bible prophecy really have to say? “, and “Can bitter enemies ever be reconciled?”This podcast (and its associated video) was made possible through the generous sponsorship of The Refuge – Oran Park Baptist Church.

July 25, 2012 As global AIDS experts gathered for the XIX International AIDS Conference, Reverend Gideon Byamugisha, founder of ANERELA+, discussed his experience as a Ugandan priest living with HIV openly since 1992. Having played a lead role in the Church of Uganda’s AIDS Program, Reverend Byamugisha currently serves as the Christian AID Goodwill Ambassador on HIV and AIDS. Byamugisha is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Niwano Peace Prize, for his ministry with children affected by AIDS. He spoke to the theological and practical resources available to restore agency and power to HIV-affected youth enabling them to lead safer, healthier, prosperous, and fulfilling lives. Byamugisha made the case that the health and development risks facing orphans and other youths made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS are priorities issues in today’s African churches.

Happy Birthday, dear Scilla - your laughing and smiling during the interview made us very cheerful and your words were full of hope and passion. We are very lucky to have the opportunity to spread your knowledge and wisdom to the people. LOVE & PEACE Interview: Maja Tittelbach Thanks to: Kertin Löber About Scilla Elworthy (Source: Wikipedia): Scilla Elworthy (born 3 June 1943) is a peace builder, and the founder of the Oxford Research Group, a non-governmental organisation she set up in 1982 to develop effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers worldwide and their critics, for which she was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize. She served as its executive director from 1982 until 2003, when she left that role to set up Peace Direct, a charity supporting local peace-builders in conflict areas. In 2003 she was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize. From 2005 she was adviser to Peter Gabriel, Desmond Tutu and Richard Branson in setting up The Elders. She is a member of the World Future Council and in 2012 co-founded Rising Women Rising World, a growing, vibrant community of women on all continents who take responsibility for building a world that works for all.

A panel discussion on Dr Scilla Elworthy's new book 'Pioneering the Possible: Awakened Leadership for a World That Works' and the Oxford launch of 'Rising Women Rising World.' On the panel: Professor Richard Caplan (Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford) Dr Rama Mani (Senior Research Associate of the University of Oxford’s Centre for International Studies, received the 2013 Peter Becker Peace Prize for 25 years peace activism and scholarship, co-founder of Rising Women Rising World) Dr Scilla Elworthy (three times Nobel Peace Prize nominee, winner of the Niwano Peace Prize, founder of the Oxford Research Group and Peace Direct, co-founder of Rising Women Rising World) http://www.ted.com/talks/scilla_elworthy_fighting_with_non_violence?language=en Chair: Professor Kalypso Nicolaidis (Professor of International Relations and Director of the Centre for International Studies, University of Oxford)

A keynote address from the Building Peace conference organized by the Oxford Network for Peace Studies and hosted by St John's College, Oxford on 15 May 2010. Dr Scilla Elworthy - Founder of the Oxford Research Group and Peace Direct, Nobel Prize Nominee, and Niwano Peace Prize winner - reflects on her decades-long peace efforts in and explores the possibility of a worldwide strategy for peacebuilding.

A keynote address from the Building Peace conference organized by the Oxford Network for Peace Studies and hosted by St John's College, Oxford on 15 May 2010. Dr Scilla Elworthy - Founder of the Oxford Research Group and Peace Direct, Nobel Prize Nominee, and Niwano Peace Prize winner - reflects on her decades-long peace efforts in and explores the possibility of a worldwide strategy for peacebuilding.